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An Italian judge ordered Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi Tuesday to stand trial on charges of paying for sex with an underage girl and of abuse of power, according to a statement from the judge's office. The trial is set to start April 6, according to the statement from Judge Cristina Di Censo. Though the court date would not mean Berlusconi has to appear in person, the decision is a severe blow to the 74-year-old prime minister. He has been struggling to recover from a party split, which has cost him a secure majority in Parliament. Berlusconi, a billionaire businessman turned politician, has denied doing anything illegal in the case and says he has been targeted by politically motivated judges, backed by the left who are determined to bring him down. Italy's constitutional court last month removed from the trial the automatic immunity that Berlusconi had previously enjoyed. The prime minister is also due to face trial in three unrelated embezzlement and fraud trials in the coming weeks. Prosecutors accuse Berlusconi of paying for sex with a nightclub dancer when she was under 18, which is against the law in Italy. They also accuse him of abusing the powers of his office by pressuring police to have her released from custody over theft allegations. Berlusconi has dismissed the investigation against him as "disgusting and disgraceful," but he has come under pressure from groups such as the Vatican and Italy's main business lobby, Confindustria. Polls show his image has suffered. |
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